Saving Her from Face Down
by BreeHime
Summary: Kaolin is a normal teenage girl going to school everyday until she meets an unexpected friend who opens her eyes to the lies she has been living her whole life. Everything changes and somehow, Yusuke swears he will save her. YusukexOC oneshot


Kaolin ran through the door of her boyfriend's house with her bag on her back, she was so late and so very screwed when she arrived at school. He had kept her longer then she had wanted to be kept at the house, like she could use him as an excuse with the teachers. Already graduated and working, they didn't know him beyond the records.

The female student got to the high school as the bell rang. She kept jogging through the hallways to make it to her class before running smack dab into a solid chest. With a squeal she went down onto her butt from the force and stared up at the figure she had run into. The male was tall with slightly tanned skin, gelled back black hair and chocolate eyes. He reached down for her and she flinched before remembering he wasn't her boyfriend. A smile lit up her face as she apologized.

"No problem. It was both our faults. Late for class?" He had the look of a punk but talked smoothly like a friend would've. She nodded and tucked a strand of her hair behind an ear.

"Yeah actually I am. Oh! I'm Heisei Kaolin." The girl held out her hand to shake his larger one. His hand enveloped her small delicate skin, her seafoam green eyes gazing into his melted chocolate orbs.

"Urameshi Yusuke..." Yusuke's voice was husky as he learned the name of such an angel and introduced himself. She was a cute girl who looked a little on the skater side of things. "...Want to skip class with me?" Cue the eyebrow raise. She wasn't one to skip class; she was looking to get into a decent college. One more look into his warm eyes caused shivers to travel down her back and she nodded, forgetting everything that occurred before she had met him.

"Sure. Where are we going?" Her voice was soft and dazed with a matching look in her water-like eyes. Yusuke smirked and slid an arm around her shoulders, not seeing her wince from the hidden bruising. He guided her out the doors of the school, throwing her school bag in her locker as they passed it.

"To have some fun."

Of course, he meant the arcade. That day, eating pizza and hanging around with the most infamous punk in town, Kaolin had the most fun she had had since before meeting her boyfriend. On Yusuke's end, he stared at the soft-spoken girl as if he hadn't seen a female ever in his life. She was a complete mystery and he was addicted to spending time with her. They met the next day as well, her arm with dark smudges.

Her excuse? She was clumsy and tripped down the stairs.

He believed her.

_Hey girl you know you drive me crazy  
One look puts the rhythm in my hand.  
Still I'll never understand why you hang around  
I see what's going down_

A full two weeks had passed by with them meeting up either after school or cutting the last block of school. They did everything from hanging out at his apartment with his drunken mother to meeting with his diverse friends to playing at the arcade or the mall. Each day was different and even when they did nothing at all; it was the best times of Kaolin's life. In fact, today the two of them merely popped into the Diner near his apartment. It was at this time that Yusuke really took a look at his female friend.

The spirit detective just couldn't figure it out. Where were the bruises coming from? She couldn't have been i_that_/i clumsy...could she? He peered at her from over the lip of his coke glass, a smile coming to his face upon seeing her own as she gazed at her pizza slice.

"Thank you Yusuke..." Kaolin murmured before letting her seafoam green eyes flicker to his face. He had let his hair go un-gelled today at her request and so it hung over his forehead, occasionally shifting over his chocolate eyes. At his questioning look, she gave a brighter smile, "For the great times I've been having."

Before the punk boy could answer they heard the ringing of the door opening and the sound of footsteps approaching their table. A tall male came to stop with his hands shoved in his pockets and a smile thrown on his face. He had short brown hair that was spiked up with gel and chilling blue eyes. It was those eyes that Kaolin had fallen for and about the only reason she had dated him to start with.

"Hey baby. Did you forget? We have to go to my parent's place." He gave her a once over and she bit her lip as he did so, looking down at the half finished pizza slice. A half grin came to his face and he stuck out one hand to the teen sitting across from his girlfriend. "I'm Kaolin's boyfriend, Reed Koishi." Yusuke stared in silence and accepted the offered hand to shake. Koishi looked to Kaolin with a command in his eyes and she stood up quietly.

"Uh...Urameshi Yusuke. I guess I'll see you then Kaolin?" The teenage detective questioned innocently, he didn't want to interfere. He hadn't known that his new friend had a boyfriend, let alone one who was so protective or older than they both were.

"Yeah...see you Yusuke." She muttered, as she was lead out of the diner by hand. Her eyes stayed glued on the tiled floor, as if not wanting to look at Koishi.

Yusuke watched them leave before standing up and dropping the money on the table to pay. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and let his brow furrow as he thought while walking away back to his apartment. What was going on?

_Cover up with make up in the mirror  
Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again  
You cry alone and then he swears he loves you_

_Do you feel like a man  
When you push her around?  
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?  
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end  
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found_

It wasn't until late that night when most of the neighborhood had gone to sleep that Kaolin found out why her boyfriend was so nice at the Diner.

The girl screamed out as her back hit the staircase in Kioshi's house. She knew it was coming. He didn't have parents. It was a lie back at the pizza place and she had known but not questioned. Why hadn't she questioned?

Kioshi advanced on the fallen teen and picked her up by the neck, being even more careful about how hard he squeezed her neck. Although she had no school the next day, her new friends would probably notice. "You were cheating on me!" He yelled at her as her feet dangled centimeters from the ground. Her medium length auburn hair swished as she attempted to shake her head and as she struggled to breathe with such a tight grip on her windpipe.

"Liar." He pushed her into the wall and pinned her, a fierce and frightening look in his icy blue eyes. With one cruel smile he began to smash his lips against her own until she froze up in terror. He hadn't taken this approach before. After taking another kiss from her he slapped her and pushed her to the ground.

It was a knock at the door that allowed her to fall to the ground with trembling limbs. His 'friends' were over. She crawled up the few stairs and limped to the bathroom. There would be bruises tomorrow she noted with a wry smile at her face in the mirror. i_Nothing that make-up can't fix_/i She thought to herself in silence.

An hour later and soft rapping noises were heard against the bathroom door. It was Kioshi. Kaolin flinched at each noise until his voice sounded out from behind the protective wood. "Kao? I'm sorry...I love you...will you come out?" The girl shook her head and hugged her form closer to the wall and bathtub than before. Her boyfriend took her quiet silence as a 'no' since he couldn't see her. "Babe, please come out. I'm really sorry."

"Never again Kioshi? No more hitting?" Her voice was strong as she voiced out her statement and she could hear the chuckle from behind the door.

"No more. I swear I love you."

_A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect  
Every action in this world will bear a consequence  
If you wade around forever you will surely drown  
I see what's going down. _

I see the way you go and say your right again,  
Say your right again  
Heed my lecture

Kaolin forced herself to avoid Yusuke, as the beatings were less now that she had said he meant nothing to her. She didn't want to provoke him if she didn't have to. Finally the punk cornered her inside the school and when most of the students had escaped the hellhole of a place.

Pinned against the lockers she turned her face to look down the hallway instead of directly into his questioning gaze. The girl knew that his eyes alone would be able to dive into her soul, he had such a piercing look at times. With her cheek pressed to the cool metal he asked millions of questions that she would never be able to answer. The most important one was "What's wrong Kaolin?" and asked in a hushed tone. When she shook her head her hair moved away from her neck and there he saw the handprint wrapped about her delicate throat.

"That bastard." He swore and gave a deep growl, searching her face and arms for any other bruising. She tugged away from his grip but it was too strong for her.

"He didn't mean it...He just...didn't realize he was holding me too tight..."

"Quit defending him!"

Kaolin flinched away from his yell until his glare softened into a gentle gaze. He wrapped her in his strong arms and hugged her tightly, burying his face into her sweet smelling hair.

"I don't want to lose you Kao."

Obviously it was the wrong thing to say because she began tense in his hold and ducked under his arms to grab her bag and run out the doors. Yusuke could do nothing but look at her retreating back.

Later, when Kaolin was out on an errand, he showed up at Koishi's house. He had remembered where Kaolin had been entered when he walked her home the first and last time. With a scowl he lectured Koishi about being abusive and threatened him. He raised his hands and grinned widely, "I'm right about the way I treat my girlfriend. Stay out of this Urameshi. Worry about you and your own."

"I won't give up Koishi. You won't keep treating her like this." Yusuke clenched his hands to refrain from punching a hole through the mortal's thick skull. What right did he have to abuse Kaolin as he had?

The clatter of a bag of groceries falling alerted both of them to the presence of the very girl they fought about. "Yusuke...What are you doing here?!" She shrieked in both disbelief and anger. How could be betray her like this? Oh Koishi would hit her now. Kaolin glanced at Koishi and read the promises of a beating later. She lowered her eyes from his and avoided the scorching gaze of her best friend.

"You should leave."

Yusuke appeared surprised; did she not believe in him at all? He unclenched his hands and walked past the small female. As he did so he pressed a slip of paper with his number to her hand without allowing Koishi the pleasure of seeing.

"Don't put up with this Kao." He murmured before exiting the house forever. She didn't turn her head to look at his departing form and instead picked up the fallen groceries.

_Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?  
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?  
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end  
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has. _

Face down in the dirt she says, this doesn't hurt she says I finally had enough

As Kaolin had expected, Koishi approached her with hatred pouring from his gaze. It was nothing like the love that she could always see in the melted chocolate eyes of Yusuke. She stood her ground as he came closer to her with his hand outstretched. As his fingers caressed her cheek, she closed her eyes as if fighting and internal battle.

"Don't." She whispered out. It went unheard as Koishi changed his caressing to gripping her arms tightly. He gave a malicious smirk before pushing her to the ground and stepping on her leg. A cry escaped her lips as he pressed down on one of her already formed bruises.

"Don't!" It came out as a yell and he looked taken aback before he grabbed her hair and forced her to her feet. "Don't touch me!" She attempted to get out of his grip until a smack across her face silenced her. Her eyes opened to reveal her own version of anger and hate.

"You belong to me." He whispered into her ear, more lies that she could now see through. Her life had been a lie on top of lies. He never loved her, he just wanted a plaything to beat around and Yusuke had opened her eyes to it.

"This doesn't hurt anymore. I've had enough!" Remembering what she was taught, she fought back and managed to escape the house. When she glanced back she noted Koishi standing in his doorway with malice in his very aura.

Frightened that he might chase after her, Kaolin didn't stop running until she reached a phone booth. Here she found her spare change to dial up the number Yusuke had given her. A groggy male voice answered and she immediately asked for Yusuke.

"Oh um. Wait a moment."

She fidgeted impatiently; she didn't have a moment, there was still a chance he might come after her. To her relief the next voice she heard was Yusuke's familiar laugh and the sound of someone hitting the ground. "You can't take a message Kuwabara?" There were a few more mumblings until he answered the phone himself. "Hello?"

"It's me. I need help!" Kaolin looked around the street anxiously with fear in her eyes, waiting for his reply. She prayed he wouldn't shoot her down.

"Kaolin! What's wrong! Did he hurt you?"

She bit her lip, not wanting to see what happened if she told the truth. He might get hurt if he faced off against Koishi. Finally she answered with a simple "yes" and an explanation of what happened. On the other end she could hear a sigh of relief.

"So you got away. Good for you love. Now, where are you?"

Kaolin named the street and gave another glance to make sure once more that he wasn't coming. To her excitement she realized she had went far enough away from Koishi that it would take him weeks to find her. Score one for the track queen! Why she never used her running skills before was simple; she didn't have the courage before Yusuke came into her life.

"...You ran all that way? That's amazing Kao. Anyway, my friend's house isn't too far away. Please come here and be safe...with me. His house is the one with a giant garden. You won't miss it."

She fidgeted again before hanging up with a quick "bye" and began to run down the street. After the adrenaline was out of her system she started to walk at a more sedate pace, although weary of the passing cars in case one of them held the man she had run from.

At long last she came upon the house with the garden Yusuke had described. Kaolin bit her lower lip as she approached it slowly. She didn't want him to see the new bruises, but she needed to feel safe again. Deciding to go with her more selfish side, she knocked on the door and was greeted with a giant sweeping hug.

"Kaolin!" Yusuke set her down gently and maneuvered her away from his other friends until they were in the garden outside. To his delight she appeared entranced by the beautiful flowers. It wasn't really his taste, but he knew that she'd enjoy Kurama's hard work. It helped her settle down from all the fright she had encountered today and she slipped her hand into Yusuke's as she relaxed.

"It's peaceful...Thank you for saving me Yusuke." She turned bright eyes to him, and together they ignored the bruise on her face. He gave his silly grin and hugged her close.

"It wasn't me babe. It was all you. Now there's something I'd like to say..."

Kaolin felt her breathing hitch in her throat. He was touching her so softly and gently; it was so unlike the touch she suffered from with Koishi. Curious as to what he wanted, she brought her gaze to his, marveling at the deep color of his eyes.

"I've wanted to say this long before I knew about Koishi. I love you Kaolin."

She froze for a moment before realize this is what she wanted. This is how she wanted things to be. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly to her.

"I love you too Yusuke. It was you who saved me."

_Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?  
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?  
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end  
As your lies crumble down, a new life she has. _

Face down in the dirt she says, this doesn't hurt she says I finally had enough


End file.
